Cam Van would have made a great lawyer, as the recent JD thought it was his destiny. However, now when he is not competing to make the USA Olympic team, he can now be found helping his Olympic peers monetize their teachings. Growing up, Cam saw many high schools and athletic programs across the country simply don't have the quality coaches in individual sports such as track & field to develop the talent hiding in plain sight, like himself. Cam started Couro, which is now an AI-powered platform for athletes, coaches, and trainers to offer their exclusive content, from training videos and insightful breakdowns to 1-on-1s, in exchange for subscriptions. We chat about Olympians struggling to make money, the way Couro is solving these problems, and how AI is being implemented into athletic teaching techniques.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00- Intro

1:55- Many Olympians are not making money

5:18- Cam becoming a lawyer and the bar exam

9:58- Couro; rapid fire questions

11:50- Helping the starving athlete

16:30- Who are the users?

17:58- Go-to market strategy

19:30- The team members

20:57- How Couro receives feedback

25:58- Cam and Couro in the next five years

27:35- Outro

I do not own the rights to this music (J Hus feat. Drake- Who Told You, NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) - Daydreaming)

When Jeron Artest was thirteen years old, he created his first video game which become so popular his opponents at AAU tournaments starting playing it. Fast forward a decade later, Jeron is the now the Founder/CEO of TestJar Labs, a gaming studio looking to build the next generation of games for consumers. Jeron's love for the gaming industry has somehow outshined his elite basketball pedigree as we chat about the tools that are allowing more rapid game development, how athletes can become great game designers, as well as compare the free to play vs. play to earn gaming models.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00- Intro

1:40- Jeron's love for gaming

3:38- Creating Jeronimo

6:15- The new developments in the gaming industry

10:35- Jeron's nonprofit Unlocked Content- The consumer can be the producer

12:45- The typical business model for a game (free to play, pay to win)

15:28- The new "play to earn model"

17:04- NFTs in gaming

20:50- Choose your Pokemon

23:20- Where TestJar is going to be in 5 years

25:00- Outro

I do not own the right to this music (UGK Featuring OutKast - Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You) [Instrumental], Kenny Beats- The Last Words (Visualizer))

Bradley Klahn is a top 100 professional tennis player on the ATP Tour. Bradley played collegiate tennis at Stanford University, where he won the 2010 NCAA Singles Championships as a sophomore. His next year as a junior, he was a finalist in the NCAA Doubles Championship. During the pandemic, Bradley made the decision to attend Harvard Business School's crossover into Business program, which allowed Bradley to brush up on business topics amongst other elite athletes in a classroom setting. During our discussion Bradley was nice enough to walk through the post-tennis options he is pondering in addition to his broadcasting endeavors at the Tennis Channel. Will it be tech sales, wealth management, helping Playback to take their game to the next level? As elite as a tennis player as Bradley is, his next move will probably be his best.

https://www.playback.tv

Episode Breakdown

0:00- Intro (into the growth of pickleball)

3:56- Studying with famous athletes at Harvard business school

7:17- Tech sales, Wealth Management? What does Bradley do next?

11:35- Breaking down the wealth disparity in Tennis

16:25- How to get paid in individual sports: eat what you kill

18:48- Working with Playback

21:18- Outro

I do not own the rights to this music (Kaytranada mix)

Giorgio Di Bonaventura, (DiBo) is one of the most interesting athletes you've never heard of. The Italian guard plays for Luis basketball club in Rome, and is a member of Italy's 3x3 national basketball team. While DiBo became one of Italy's top players in his class, he knew there was more life outside the court. He took a risk, landed as a contestant on Uomini e Donne (Italian bachelorette), and quickly became a crowd favorite. The world of outside opportunity he hoped for overwhelmingly arrived and leveraged the momentum he had to start one of Italy's premier event hosting companies, icarus (https://icarus.events/). DiBo chats about the passion of Italian basketball, how TV set him for professional success, and the technicalities of creating a party where everyone has a good time.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00- Intro

1:58- Basketball in Italy

3:45- Growing up and playing with the same teammates

6:24- Joining uomini e donne while playing professionally

9:12- Exploring a whole world outside of basketball

11:22- Starting icarus and getting into event hosting

14:19- The keys to throwing a great party

16:03- What worries an event host the most?

19:01- Giorgio's workflow: Using an example

21:44- To spend or to enjoy?

24:11- The future of icarus

26:00- Outro

I do not own the right to this music (53 Thieves- Southside, 53 Thieves- nighttime)

Jacob Turner was one of the highest paid draft picks in MLB history, making appearances with the Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, and more. His experience of accumulating sudden wealth was complex. He was successful by all measures, but his career ended shorter than he would of liked. This was key to Jacob developing his foundation as a financial advisor, as he is now the Founding Partner at JLS Wealth, helping 7-8 figure clients manage the complexities of their financial needs. We chat about the financial pillars Jacob takes his clients through, the complexities of working with ultra high net-worth individuals, and the differences of lifestyle spending in an MLB clubhouse.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00- Intro

1:30- Going to Monaco is OK

3:10- Jacob's experience is why you should trust him

7:20- The 5 pillars: Cash Flow, Tax Planning, Risk Management, Estate Planning, Investment Portfolio

8:50- The best state to live in to keep the most of your earnings...

11:25- Working with non-athlete entrepreneurs

14:30- 'Knowing' is different from 'executing'

15:20- The client needs to be engaged

16:55- New trend: Family offices building out lifestyle services arm

20:10- The story of Jacob and his MLB peer

22:15- Lifestyle FOMO in the clubhouse

23:07- Outro

I do not own the rights to this music (Tame Impala- Borderline, Tame Impala- New Person, Same Old Mistakes)

Chandler Malone was enjoying college basketball, but when his startup was making a significant amount of revenue, he knew it was time to put the ball away. The former WashU guard is a serial entrepreneur currently building Bootup, a tech marketplace that helps people get their first jobs in tech, and upskill their talent. Bootup has raised over $2.1 million in Venture Capital from Kapor Capital, Concrete Rose Capital, Lightship Capital, and more. Chandler chats about how he developed his passion for tech while playing AAU basketball, the rise in the need for technical talent, the journey of Bootup, and more!

Episode Breakdown: 

0:00- Intro 

1:30- Seeing the power of tech during AAU and college basketball

5:40- Working 20 hours a week in VC during college 

7:40- Becoming a serial entrepreneur

8:30- The journey of Bootup 

11:11- Who is the buyer? 

13:00- What are you getting out of Bootup

15:50- The journey of raising VC as an former athlete

19:20- The explosion of tech in many industries

22:48- Outro 
I do not own the right to this music (Future- Red Light (instrumental), Future- 4 Da Gang (Instrumental))

Vasu Kulkarni is the self-proclaimed biggest pick-up hoops fans in the world. He eats, sleeps, breathes, basketball and will not move out of his NYC apartment because he’s 45 seconds near a pick up game at all times. He also happens to be the former founder and CEO of Krossover, a sports analytics SaaS company selling video and data tools to sports teams around the world. Vasu nows invests in early stage sports, gaming, and collectible technology companies at Courtside Ventures. Vasu and I chat about how basketball can be used to evaluate talent in start-ups, what areas he’s looking to invest in, and more. 

0:00- Intro

2:25- Vasu’s basketball obsession

5:40- Courtside Ventures and investing criteria

11:15- Evaluating startups like a starting 5 in basketball

13:58- Positive traits of founder’s with athletic backgrounds

16:40- Investing in Generative AI applications with sports, gaming

19:00- Why sports tech companies aren’t venture backable

22:07- Vasu’s playlist 

24:07- Outro

I do not own rights to this music (One Shining Moment- Luther Vandross Version, The Killers- Human)

Sam Acho was a 9-year NFL veteran, a Vice President of the of the NFL Players Association, an author, and currently an ESPN sports analyst. The University of Texas alum had a successful NFL career, but little did he know his childhood arguments with younger brother Emmanuel Acho would prepare them for sports TV stardom. Sam appears regularly on Get Up, First Take, and plethora of ESPN-related programs. We chat about the preparation that goes in being a sports analyst, handling going viral with every take, as well as how faith guides Sam in business.

Episode breakdown: 

0:00- Intro 

2:30- Arguments with Emmanuel 

4:15- The preparation into going shows

6:35- Preparing to go viral with every take

10:30- Having an “architect” and “dark hour” friends

15:20- Let the world see you 

17:25- Sam’s lowest point: Receiving his biggest contract $

20:03- Faith and business

21:55- Outro

I do not own the rights to this music (Brent Faiyaz- Jackie Brown (instrumental))

Orlando and Aquila Mendez-Valdez are as dynamic off the court as they were on it. Orlando is one of the most accomplished Mexican-American basketball players in history, leading Western Kentucky to a sweet 16 appearance in 2008, winning the FIBA Americas Gold Medal with Mexico in 2013, appearing in the G-League with Mexico City’s new team Los Capitanes, in addition to a laundry list of other accomplishments. Throughout his career, Orlando has been a seasoned real estate investor while his wife Aquila was a former volleyball standout at Western Kentucky and is now the founder and CEO of Haute in Texas. Haute in Texas is a premier PR and Marketing agency for small/medium sized business, where public relations meets passionate digital influence. I got to sit down with Oscar and Aquila to chat about the importance of PR/brand building, the difficulties of knowing how much one can invest while playing, as well how their marriage has helped them accelerate their professional careers. 

@omv2033

@hauteintexas

Episode Breakdown: 

0:00- Intro 

2:20- Haute in Texas 

3:30- Working together 

5:30-  Parallels between Basketball, PR, and brand building 

7:20- Struggles + strategies of small business owners

9:58- Haute business model 

11:15- Orlando off the court- passive Real Estate investing 

13:30- Signing 1 year deals makes it tougher to invest 

17:20- Making different decisions once married with kids 

21:21- Mendez-Valdez Playlist

23:44- Outro

I do not own the rights to this music (Galantis- Peanut Butter Jelly (lyrics), Jay-Z- Smile ft. Gloria Carter)

Blake Lawrence is the Co-founder and CEO of Opendorse, the leading NIL marketplace connecting college athletes, brands, and fans. Opendorse has been around since 2012, however the legalities of name, image, and likeness (NIL) to student-athletes only became available on June 31st, 2021. The former University of Nebraska-Lincoln linebacker was ahead of the curve with his time working with the NIL for professional athletes and transitioning into the collegiate market when the opportunity arose. Hear from the CEO who is at the forefront of a new era in college sports chat about “interviewing” for a job while in the spotlight, revenue analysis of NIL on campuses, what he hopes for the legislative future of NIL, and more. 

@opendorse 

@blake_lawrence

Episode Breakdown 

0:00- Intro 

1:42- Blake’s time at Nebraska 

3:00- “The rules of society apply to athletes”

8:24- NIL and the journey of Opendorse 

12:53- Who is actually benefiting from NIL? Revenue 

17:30- NIL revenue breakdown 

18:55- is NIL disrupting locker room dysfunction 

22:00- The Juju-Smith Schuster use case 

23:25- Blake's view on the big legislative decisions coming up

26:40- Blake’s Playlist 

I do not own the rights to (The Who- Pinball Wizard, Mungo Jerry-Summertime (official lyrics video))